November 2010

My brother and I, both MBA’s, often viewed family events akin to corporate conferences. We sought different ways to minimize chaos and maximize the quality of our time together. Although Thanksgiving Day is a prized group celebration, we decided that other days in the long weekend are best split up in smaller breakout sessions so as to have more personal interaction. Group-breakout-report back. Thus, over the Thanksgiving weekend my brother

Thanksgiving, as any holiday, is full of die-hard traditions. In my family of hearty eaters, we were always sure to have spiral cut ham in addition to a massive turkey. The stuffing recipe was passed down from generations and could not be altered even by one thyme sprig. Always present was also a suspicious looking marshmallow jello salad; it was always positioned next to the potatoes in hopes it may

As I was researching remedies for both Writer’s Block and the flu I was battling, a friend called to interrupt my desperation. Someone had seen my Twitter post “Why I haven’t killed myself yet” as a cry for help. “Um, Heidi, what’s up?” “Ihavenoideawhatiamdoingwithmylife…..” “Er, slow down….that was one syllable,” said a voice that had known me for years. “I’m too old for another reinvention! I’ve had a thousand impulsive

After coming out of the closet with my metaphor masturbation, the rainbow city of San Francisco finally saluted me as one of its own. The sun was warmer, the people friendlier. I stopped driving and started walking, no longer in a mad rush of self-absorption. I took the time to grin widely at sidewalk pedestrians, finally unafraid of my (emotional, mistake ridden, overly impulsive) self. My laments at things gone

Las Vegas is a city to be both loved and deplored. It’s the city of sin, status showcase and escape. In a place where everyone is a tourist, new friends and new experiences are givens. My recent visit to the fantasy façade was for a birthday, filled with toasts and laughs. However, I still managed to explore outside the celebration walls to uncover glitz’s grittier side. Status Someone once

A friend of mine recently wrote me a beautifully raw tale of her ongoing journey of self discovery. She writes: “I am trying to find out who the authentic ‘me’ is and bring it to life. I see glimpses of it in different things I enjoy. But there is so much more to explore. I found out I enjoy acting, it’s a place where I feel good, myself. I am

“Hi Heidi.” A voice interrupted my 180 rpm workout at the gym. “Are you adjusted to being back in San Francisco yet?” I wiped the sweat off my brow and smiled silently, not knowing how to answer the question. I was still figuring things out, making mistakes, learning, trying, exploring……I wasn’t sure if this was part of the adjustment process or counter to it. Driving across the country to the

When we are young, naïve and hopeful we dream big. We throw our love out into the world, confident it will boomerang back and find us. Anything is possible whether it is being an astronaut or falling in love. I was shipped off to Space Camp, Orchestra Camp, and Girl Scout Camp encouraged to seize every opportunity. When we are young our family and neighbors shield us from the horrors

To tighten the verbiage in my proposal I needed to start writing more of the actual book. Themes were getting twisted up in one another and I needed to be sure my message was clear. However, this week I was thwarted from writing much of anything. I was supposed to flush out my concept of life’s hamster wheel, women racing to keep up with society’s standards. But I couldn’t focus

I’m a strategist and writer based in San Francisco. My advising gives me powerful material to inspire and help others navigate their path. Based on raw human insights, I craft humorous tales grounded in honesty. My work has been published across the web including The Huffington Post, Quartz (The Atlantic), The NY Observer, Elephant Journal, Thought Catalog, Medium, Betty Confidential, and Women 2.0.